Stamps, more particularly self-inking stamps, as indicated above, that is with a stamp housing and an actuating yoke moved over it against the force of a spring, said actuating yoke coupled with a stamp plate plate holder to move it forwards in order to produce stamp markings are known, for example, from US 2007-0012206, WO 2005/084953 A2, WO 00/48843 and AT 380 836 B. As a rule these are self-inking stamps with a turning mechanism, with an ink pad holder in the stamp housing as well as a stamp plate, which is attached to a plate holder and with the aid of the turning mechanism is moved from a upper inking position, in which the stamp plate is in contact with the stamp pad into a lower printing position. To bring about this movement the actuating yoke is pushed downwards relative to the stamp housing placed on the substrate to be printed. In this pressed-down operating position or stamping position the actuating yoke usually can also be locked with the aid of a catch or suchlike to the stamp housing.
In the case of these stamps it is usual to pack each stamp individually in its own packaging carton in the released rest position in which the actuating yoke is moved back, upwards relative to the stamp housing. However, packing several stamps, i.e. stamps without a self-inking device, in rows in an open box is also known, whereby the stamps are of fixed dimensions as they only have a grip with stamp types attached thereto; c.f. JP 51-101810 U, JP 59-109383 A and JP 49-124113 U.
Furthermore, with the stamps involved here the stamp plates are only mounted later, i.e. at a stamp-maker's, who acquires the stamps in a single pack of this type and adheres the stamp plates on the plates holders for customers. For this purpose the stamp must be removed from the single box, the stamp pressed together and the catch actuated in order to lock the stamp in the operating position. Thereafter, a protective film must be removed from the plate holder, this film having until this time protected the adhesive layer on the plate holder. Thereupon the required text plate is adhered to the plate holder. The stamp can then be unlocked, and a sample may be stamped on a prefabricated stamping card, whereby after removal of a viewing panel on the actuating yoke this stamping card is attached to the latter.
For delivery of the stamps with the mounted text plates to the end customer, the stamp is repacked into the single carton after these procedures.
This process is laborious and time-consuming. Apart from this the packing costs are high, as not only are the stamps packed individually into cartons, but the stamps also have to be packed in the expanded rest position, in which they are approximately 30% greater in height than in the locked operating position.